Doug Pinkerton enters his 17th season at the helm of the Delta State University Cross Country program. Since Pinkerton took over in 2003, the Lady Statesmen have made steady improvements each year and continue to strive to be a contender in the Gulf South Conference and NCAA Southeast Region.
Last season, the Lady Statesmen finished 11th at the 2019 Gulf Couth Conference Championships and Pinkerton saw three of his student-athletes in Cassidy Fitch, Jamie Claire Musselwhite, and Cayce Smith garner GSC Fall Academic Honor Roll honors.
2018 brought another exciting year for the Lady Statesmen led by Senior Sarah Mumme who ran the second-fastest 5K time in school history (18:47) at the University of Arkansas Little Rock Invitational. Mumme also earned All GSC Honors finishing in 19th place at the GSC Championships with a time of (19:00). Sarah became only the second cross country runner to win the Kerg Award given out to the top DSU female athlete. Honors continued to pile up for Sarah as she was nominated and chosen among the GSC Top Ten Athletes for 2018-2019. Only other Lady Statesmen cross country runner to win both the Kerg Award and be selected to the GSC Top Ten was Annalee Pierce in 2014. Pierce was also nominated NCAA Woman of the Year for 2014.
The 2017 season was an exciting one with the Lady Statesmen efforts earning them a 9th place ranking in the NCAA II South Regional poll. Freshmen Rikita Saunders earned All-GSC honors at the GSC XC Championship and All-Regional honors at the NCAA II South Regional XC Championship. The team’s efforts in the classroom earned them USTFCCCA All-Academic team honors and junior Sarah Mumme finish at the regional competition and her GPA earned her USTFCCCA Academic All-American honors.
2012 was an outstanding year for the Lady Statesmen as they finished fifth at Regionals, the highest finish in school history. The 2012 season was also the first year for Delta State Cross Country to have two All-Region runners named to their team, Stacey Hagenson and Alyssa Shetley. A year earlier, in 2011, the Lady Statesmen had their highest finish ever (2nd) in the GSC Championship and reached their highest ever NCAA II South Regional ranking (3rd).
Pinkerton's tenure has seen the Lady Statesmen establish a long list of firsts, including the program's first-ever NCAA Regional ranking in 2005 and first All-GSC selection in Kristin Williams in 2006. The program also notched its first GSC Freshman Runner of the Year and All-Region pick in 2010, as Stacey Hagenson captured that honor and All-GSC and NCAA All-Southeast Region in the same season.
Pinkerton, an endurance athlete himself, has competed in over 50 triathlons, St. Louis marathon finisher, eight half-marathons, 5 half-ironmans and has competed in two Ironman events (Arizona & Texas).
Pinkerton, a native of Greenville, graduated from Mississippi State in 1993 with a degree in physical education and a concentration in teaching and coaching education. He began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant coach for the legendary Lloyd Clark at Delta State University in 1997 after spending four years coaching several sports at the high school level. While coaching with Clark, Pinkerton earned a Master of Education in Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
Pinkerton also serves as the Director of HPER Facilities, Operations, and Programming, Part-time Instructor for HPER, among other duties he serves on campus.
He is very active in several ministries around the Mississippi Delta and Cleveland communities. He serves as a deacon at First Baptist Church and holds speaking engagements for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and TRI4GOD Ministry.
Pinkerton and his wife, Lisa, have two children and reside in Cleveland.
